I would like to write about a group of women who have performed not just one act of kindness, but many. I count myself blessed to go through this pandemic with three other woman whom I did not really know well prior to the pandemic, but who are now a vital part of my life daily.
Liz, Rebekah, and Lisa are three wonderful moms who live near each other, and I just happened to have the stroke of luck to meet each of them separately and get pulled into their fold. When the pandemic began, they immediately started sewing and distributing face masks. Some for groups, but many for neighbors. They even arranged to drop off batches in a nearby Little Free Library for neighbors to pick up. They have sewn literally thousands and thousands of face masks, and it was through this that I became a little closer and started chatting through a Facebook Group of the four of us.
A key point here is I have zero talent when it comes to sewing. My husband (a government contractor) has gone into his office every day of this pandemic. They sewed masks for him. I have several risk factors including being immunocompromised, so they have sewn me many cheerful masks. When my daughter turned 14, we arranged to have some baby alpacas come visit our front yard and three out of four of her closest friends have birthdays in the same month, so Rebekah sewed the girls matching birthday-themed masks so they girls could safely come together and have a small outdoor celebration after not seeing each other for two months.
My main contribution to the group is info gathering -- I listen to the school board meetings and governor's press conferences and report back b/c it took me a few weeks to complete one mask, lol! That they could value me despite my lack of sewing skills meant a lot in the early Mask Cartel days!
I can't capture in one email all the things these women have done for others, but I can tell you they have been a major support system for me. My family has taken this pandemic, my risk factors, and our civic duty seriously. At times, especially in the earlier days, it was especially challenging when many around us did not understand the reasons behind the level of isolation we were maintaining. These wonderful women were like-minded about the precautions and at times were my refuge when I felt overwhelmed or frustrated by the pushback we received from others. It was Liz who got me to tune into your Podcasts many months ago and now we all chat about them each week. We pick things up for each other while going to the grocery and other stores both out of kindness and to minimize trips out. We have all kinds of crazy porch drop-offs and pick-ups -- from masks, to wine, to homemade soup, crafting materials and more!
We have been there for each other through various CoVid exposure scares (and the time waiting for results) and the many other things that have come up in pandemic life with kids ranging from elementary school to college age. Encouraging each other to get mammograms and other vital medical exams and appointments. Talking to each other in the wee hours when someone has pain -- whether physical or emotional.
And laughter -- we share so much laughter, which is vital in these crazy days.
JJ